Dispensing system



Patented Apr. 13, 1943 DISPENSING SYSTEM Arthur N. Kerr, Los Angeles, alii., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application July 20, 1940, Serial No. 346,632

4 Claims.

' This invention relates to the storage and utilization of fuel gases.

.More particularly, it relates to a dispensing system for fluids stored under pressure and is especially adapted. for use with liquefied fuel gases. 7

Propane and mixtures of propane and butane are being marketed at the present time for home or industrial uses in communities where natural gas is not available. The gases in liquefied state are packaged for home use in small individual .containers to facilitate transportation. To use gas from the containers it is necessary only to connect the containers to suitable pressure reducers which are in communication with the service line leading to the customers appliances.

The gases being used at present in this manner are those having boiling points sufficiently low as to be vaporized at outside temperatures even on a cold day. The commercial butanes, a by product of the petroleum industry are available in many communities at low cost. Because of their boiling range, 10 34 F., they have not been used in the conventional air warmed home dispensing equipment in regions wherethe atmospheric temperatures are subject to drop below the boiling point temperature of the butanes. If the containers are exposed to temperatures below the atmospheric boiling point of the liquid the vaporization stops, causing a cessation of the supply of gas to the users appliances. A number of hazards might result from the failure of the gas supply during the cold period, which is usually at night, and the continuance of the gas supply when the containers are again warmed up. The present invention provides dispensing equipment which is especially designed for use in dispensing liquefied hydrocarbons having a boiling point of less than 50F. at atmospheric pressure. This is accomplished by providing dispensing equipment in which the liquefied gas containers are maintained at a temperature above the atmospheric boiling point of the liquefied gas.

Such equipment is especially adapted to dispens-' The accompanying drawing is an elevation view partly in section of a specific embodiment of apparatus suitable for carrying outmy invention.

' Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates a protective housing adapted to be. mounted on a wall or other supporting surface 2. The housing may be provided with a layer of insulation 3 on the sides exposed to atmospheric temperature variations and a leak proof inner lining 4. A hinged cover 5, forming the top of the protective housing provides access to the interior. The liquefied gas container 6 from which gas is to be dispensed is positioned in the housing by vertical guide members 1. The gas formed by vaporization in the container is withdrawn through a suitable pressure regulator 8 and flexible conduit 9 to the customer's supply line H). Although only one container is visible inv the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a plurality of containers may be contained in the protective housing l and that they may be connected to'the customers service line in a similar manner. Since the gas in the container is usually in liquefied 'the position shown by Figure 1 inverted.

The housing contains water I I which is supplied thereto through the inlet pipe l2 and a thermostat-controlled valve 13 from a water supply pipe I 4., The water in heat exchange relation with the liquefied gas container is maintained at a predetermined level by the overfiow pipe 15. A coil I6 is disposed in the lower portion of the housing in heat exchange relation with the water contained therein and is connected to the water supply pipe l4. Water from the supply pipe may be passed through the coil I6 from which it is passed through the pipe I! and control valve It! to the point of use. A thermostat [9 in contact with the water in the housing controlsadmission of water to the housing through the valve l3 and the inlet pipe l2. The thermostat is set automatically to admit water to the housing from the supply pipe when the temperature of the water in the housing reaches a predetermined minimum.

The buoyancy of the container when immersed in water oifers a means of determining the degree of depletion of the container. As gas is withdrawn from the container through the flexible conduit 9, the weight of the contents of the container decreases and the container tends to rise. The vertical guide members I maintains the container in an upright position and allow it to rise freely. A graduated gauge rod 20 is attached to the top of the container and extends upwardly through a slot 2| in the cover 5 of the housing. As the container rises, an increasing amount of the gauge rod is exposed to view above the top of the housing, thus giving a visible indication of the quantity of liquid remaining in the container.

It is apparent that the dispensing system of the. desired minimum, which may be 40 F. to 50 F. for commercial butanes. In regions where the atmospheric temperature drops below the desired minimum temperature for only short periods of time, the water in the housing may have sufiicient heat capacity to supply the required heat to the container during the atmospheric cold period without dropping below the minimum temperature.

Water supplied to the housing from the supply pipe 14 may be at any temperature above the desired minimum temperature.

I claim:

1. In a liquefied gas dispensing system, a protective housing adapted to contain water, a liquefled gas container in the protective housing, means for withdrawing gas from the liquefied gas container, means for supplying water to the protective housing in heat exchange relation with the liquefied gas container, a secondary heating means in heat exchange relation with the water in the protective housing, means for supplying water to said secondary heating means, and means for controlling the supply of water to the protective housing in accordance with changes in Water from the ordinary household supply pipe may be available at such temperature. In regions where the climatic conditions are such that low atmospheric temperatures prevail for long periods of time, it may be desirable to supply heated water from a suitable source to the system through the supply pipe l4.

The high rate of heat transfer from the water to the container makes it desirable to supply water for warming the container through the inlet I2. It is to be noted, however, that any water I withdrawn through the valve I8 will pass through the coil l5 which is in heat exchange relationship with the water H in the housing I. In passing through the coil Hi, the water in the coil gives up heat to the water ll surrounding the coil. Thus it is evident that the coil 16 may be used as a means for cooling the water withdrawn from the supply pipe l4 through the coil l6, pipe I! and valve Hi. In warmclimates this affords a source of supply of cooled drinking water. It will be evident that the coil l6 also serves as a secondary heating means for heating the water H.

temperature of the water in the protective housmg.

2. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system, a protective housing, vertical guides therein, a liquefied gas container between said guides, a gas service line connected to the liquefied gas container, a fluid medium surrounding the liquefied gas container in heat exchange relationship, means for maintaining the temperature of the fluid medium above a minimum, and a gauging device attached to the container, said gauging device responsive to change in weight of the container contents.

3. In a liquefied gas dispensing system, a protective housing adapted to contain Water, a liquefled gas container in the protective housing, means for withdrawing gas from the liquefied gas container, means for supplying water to the protective housing in heat exchange relation with the liquefied gas container, a secondary heating means in heat exchange relation with the water in the protective housing, means for supplying a fluid heating medium to said secondary heating means, and means for controlling the supply of water to the protective housing in accordance with changes in temperature of the water in the protective housing.

4. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system, a protective housing, vertical guides therein, a liquefied gas container between said guides, a gas service line connected to the liquefied gas container, a fluid medium surrounding the liquefied gas container in heat exchange relation, a thermostat for. maintaining the temperature of the fluid medium above a minimum, and a gauging device attached to the container, said gauging device responsive to change in weight of the container contents.

ARTHUR N. KERR. 

